Fool's Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion

Fool's Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion

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Leading apologist Os Guinness presents a comprehensive case for the art of creative persuasion in Christian outreach. In the tradition of great communicators of the faith like Erasmus, Chesterton, and Lewis, Guinness demonstrates the necessity for both reason and imagination in making the case for Christ.

Our world is changing dramatically, yet many Christians still rely on cookie-cutter approaches to evangelism and apologetics. Most of these methods assume that people are open and interested in spiritual insight when increasingly most people are not. Our urgent need, then, is the capacity to persuade - to make a convincing case for the gospel to people who are not interested in it.

In his magnum opus, Os Guinness offers a comprehensive presentation of the art and power of creative persuasion. Following the tradition of Erasmus, Pascal, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis and Malcolm Muggeridge, Guinness demonstrates how apologetic persuasion requires both the rational and the imaginative.

Persuasion is subversive, turning the tables on listeners' assumptions to surprise them with signals of transcendence and the credibility of the gospel. Discover afresh the persuasive power of Christian witness from one of the leading apologists and thinkers of our era.

Contents
Introduction: Recovering the Lost Art
Creative Persuasion
Technique: The Devil's Bait
The Defense Never Rests
The Way of the Third Fool
Anatomy of Unbelief
Turning the Tables
Triggering the Signals
Spring-Loaded Dynamics
The Art of Always Being Right?
Beware the Boomerang
Kissing Judases
Charting the Journey
Conclusion: The Way of the Open Hand

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About "Fool's Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion"

Leading apologist Os Guinness presents a comprehensive case for the art of creative persuasion in Christian outreach. In the tradition of great communicators of the faith like Erasmus, Chesterton, and Lewis, Guinness demonstrates the necessity for both reason and imagination in making the case for Christ.

Our world is changing dramatically, yet many Christians still rely on cookie-cutter approaches to evangelism and apologetics. Most of these methods assume that people are open and interested in spiritual insight when increasingly most people are not. Our urgent need, then, is the capacity to persuade - to make a convincing case for the gospel to people who are not interested in it.

In his magnum opus, Os Guinness offers a comprehensive presentation of the art and power of creative persuasion. Following the tradition of Erasmus, Pascal, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis and Malcolm Muggeridge, Guinness demonstrates how apologetic persuasion requires both the rational and the imaginative.

Persuasion is subversive, turning the tables on listeners' assumptions to surprise them with signals of transcendence and the credibility of the gospel. Discover afresh the persuasive power of Christian witness from one of the leading apologists and thinkers of our era.

Contents
Introduction: Recovering the Lost Art
Creative Persuasion
Technique: The Devil's Bait
The Defense Never Rests
The Way of the Third Fool
Anatomy of Unbelief
Turning the Tables
Triggering the Signals
Spring-Loaded Dynamics
The Art of Always Being Right?
Beware the Boomerang
Kissing Judases
Charting the Journey
Conclusion: The Way of the Open Hand - Koorong

:In our post-Christian context, public life has become markedly more secular while private life infinitely more diverse. Yet many Christians still rely on cookie-cutter approaches to evangelism and apologetics. Most of these methods assume that people are open, interested and needy for spiritual insight when increasingly most people are not. Our urgent need, then, is the capacity to persuade?to make a convincing case for the gospel to people who are not interested in it.In his magnum opus, Os Guinness offers a comprehensive presentation of the art and power of creative persuasion. Christians have often relied on proclaiming and preaching, protesting and picketing. But we are strikingly weak in persuasion--the ability to talk to people who are closed to what we are saying. Actual persuasion requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Guinness notes, "Jesus never spoke to two people the same way, and neither should we."Following the tradition of Erasmus, Pascal, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis and Malcolm Muggeridge, Guinness demonstrates how apologetic persuasion requires both the rational and the imaginative. Persuasion is subversive, turning the tables on hearers' assumptions to surprise them with signals of transcendence and the plausibility of the gospel.This book is the fruit of forty years of thinking, honed in countless talks and discussions at many of the leading universities and intellectual centers of the world. Discover afresh the persuasive power of Christian witness, from one of the leading apologists and thinkers of our era.- Publisher

Meet the Author

Os Guinness

Os Guinness was born in China and educated in England. He did undergraduate studies at the University of London and postgraduate work at Oriel College, Oxford, where he earned a D.Phil in the social sciences. Formerly a guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Os is currently Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum in McLean, Virginia. Widely traveled, he has written or edited more than twenty books, including "The American Hour," "Time for Truth, "and "The Call," He makes his home in northern Virginia. ý"From the Hardc

Table Of Contents

:introduction: Recovering The Lost Art1 Creative Persuasion2 Technique: The Devils Bait3 The Defense Never Rests4 The Way Of The Third Fool5 Anatomy Of Unbelief6 Turning The Tables7 Triggering The Signals8 Spring-loaded Dynamics9 The Art Of Always Being Right?10 Beware The Boomerang11 Kissing Judases12 Charting The Journeyconclusion: The Way Of The Open Handacknowledgmentsnotesauthor Indexsubject Indexscripture Index